Description of Paramylonchulus iranicus sp. n. (Nematoda: Mononchida) from Iran

During a survey of soil nematodes in Iran, a population of a species belonging to the order Mononchida was recovered. The new species, Paramylonchulus iranicus sp. n. is characterized by body length (1292-1535 & mu;m in females and 1476-1670 & mu;m in males), c (20.2-29.0 in females and 19.9-27.4 in males), buccal cavity length (23.0-26.0 & mu;m), post vulval uterine sac length (135-162 & mu;m), spicule length (46.0-50.0 & mu;m), gubernaculum length (8.0-11.0 & mu;m), and tail length (49.0-70.0 & mu;m in females and 55.0-73.0 & mu;m in males). Canonical discriminant analysis clearly separated P. iranicus sp. n. from the closely related species Paramylonchulus based on the important morphometric characters of females and males. A molecular study of the 18S rDNA region of P. iranicus sp. n. places this population in a well-supported clade with other species of the genus.